Fun Palaces 2025: an invitation to join a nationwide celebration of culture, science and community – one Fun Palace at a time.
Museums, libraries, theatres, creative groups and individuals are invited to join hundreds of venues and organisers across the UK from 3 – 5 October, for the biggest Fun Palaces celebration of mass creativity yet.
Since launching in 2013, Fun Palaces has attracted over 880,000 participants and has grown into a nationwide movement for community-led creativity, with tens of thousands of people taking part each year in libraries, museums, theatres, parks and public spaces across the UK.
The movement continues to evolve this year with the introduction of Tiny Fun Palaces — a new way to host smaller, more personal events alongside larger venues, making it even easier for organisations of all sizes to get involved and showcase the creativity in their communities.
Amie Taylor, Fun Palaces Director: “Fun Palaces is a national campaign powered by local passion; it’s about celebrating creativity in every community. Signing up to make a Fun Palace, whether it’s big and buzzing or tiny and tucked away, means organisations can be part of a shared weekend of joy, connection and culture across the UK and beyond.
Building on the brilliant creativity and community spirit we’ve seen over the years, we’re making it easier than ever to get involved – whether in person, online or from the comfort of your own front room. The introduction of Tiny Fun Palaces is just one of the new features we’ve set up to expand the ways people can take part. Offering more options for those who prefer smaller gatherings, need to stay closer to home or simply want a different kind of experience. However you choose to join in, it counts – and we can’t wait to see what you create.”
Fun Palaces organisers are now planning their events for this year, and there’s plenty of time for newcomers to join in – event registration remains open right up to, and even throughout, the Fun Palaces Weekend. Whether stage combat in a library, making DIY hovercrafts at an arts centre, crafts in a town hall or reenactments at an historical society, Fun Palaces is an opportunity to express local talent, curiosity and connection. There’s no need to be an expert – just have a passion for sharing and bringing people together.
Fun Palaces is hosting a series of in-person workshops with existing partner venues across the UK throughout May and June to connect, exchange ideas and spark inspiration with potential community organisers.
Confirmed locations include:
- ARK, Margate – 20 May
- The Ladder, Redruth – 27 May
- Rivelin Co, Sheffield (Hillsborough) – 13 June
- Trinity Community Arts, Bristol – 22 June
- Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre, Leeds – 2 July
- Hoxton Creative Health Network, London – 3 July
For those unable to attend in person, a series of free online webinar series will run from July – September, covering:
- How to get started creating the Fun Palace
- Finding and applying for funding
- Promoting the event
- Practical essentials: safeguarding, risk assessment, and more
Guest speakers from past Fun Palaces will also share tips and experiences.
Stuart Cox, CEO of Hoxton Hall, who organised a Fun Palace in 2024: “What I love about Fun Palaces is that anything goes – whether it’s a small gathering for a poetry sharing session or something bigger, like yarn bombing the outside of a Royal Museum. There’s no pressure to make it grand or perfect; simply making it happen is a success. If your organisation is thinking about creating a Fun Palace, don’t hold back. However small the event, it matters – be part of something brilliant”.
Zab Iftikhar, who organises Fun Palaces at Lancashire Archives: “We’ve been a daunting building for many years and we just wanted to open our doors to the local community and get them to see what we have to offer. It’s put us on the map.”
Laura Stubbings, who organised Aston Library Fun Palace in Rotherham: “Just go for it. It’s a great opportunity to bring lots of people together, to learn new skills yourself that you didn’t even know were in the community. There are so many people out there doing amazing things that you don’t realise are happening until Fun Palaces happen.”
The three ways to host a Fun Palace are:
- A Fun Palace designed for the general public to attend and take part in a wide variety of activities, for example, in a local library, museum, university, school or village hall.
- An ‘Online Fun Palace’ lets organisers create and share activities online, connecting people through shared experiences without needing to meet in person. It can include livestreamed workshops, online puzzles, virtual quests and more, allowing anyone, anywhere in the world, to join in.
- The new ‘Tiny Fun Palace’ offers a smaller, more intimate option – a few friends or neighbours gathering in a space, like a living room, garden or driveway. It could be as simple as a chalk timeline on your street, a poetry reading from your window or a seed swap in the park.
Last year, Fun Palaces saw over 1,800 organisers involved in putting together more than 140 events across the UK, with over 60,000 people attending.
- The complete list of workshops for prospective event organisers will be updated and available here
- A Makers’ Toolkit to inspire ideas on creating a Fun Palace can be found here
- Fun Palaces are being regularly uploaded, and a live list can be found here
Main image: The Ware Men’s Shed leading ‘Make a Bird Box’ workshop at Fun Palace Hertfordshire 2024. Photograph by Roswitha Chesher.
